I mentioned about three weeks ago that I’m planning to buy a new clarinet – but I haven’t had a chance to do anything about it yet. Or not much, anyway. LT and I went into the very good music shop in Reading but, though they had a few clarinets, it clearly wasn’t somewhere to go for really good advice on them – guitars would be a different matter and so would keyboards, I believe.
My music teacher was going to ask around for advice on where to shop (clarinet isn’t actually her instrument: it’s a long story, but basically, we are friends and we agreed that I’d learn the notes and technique myself and she’d take care of the musical teaching) but we’ve had to cancel the last two lessons and I was away the week before, so I’ve been having a look myself. It seems that the place I’m most likely to find a good choice and advice is at Howarth of London in – er, London. If any of you out there can give me the benefit of your knowledge and experience, I’d appreciate it. I don’t want to buy on the internet, however good the terms and free trial are, I really need to play several instruments and choose the one that suits me, and have a variety of price ranges too.
This won’t happen for a week or two yet, at least, though. The rest of the week is very busy and, includes a very sad visit to London for a funeral.
But we are still cultivating our own garden, literally, and I have picked the second batch of peas, the first of broad beans and the last of the greenhouse potatoes for tonight’s dinner. We have also planted the young leeks and are feeling rather pleased with ourselves. Not so pleased with the young lad who’s helping Rose in her garden, put a forkful of weeds on the bonfire with my pitchfork and left the pitchfork stuck into them so that she didn’t notice (who would? He’s an idiot) and it had burnt half through by the time Tim found it. I am extremely cross about it – he has done some work for me in the past but I won’t be employing him again. I should make it clear it is not young Stevo, whom I’ve mentioned here before.